I climbed the steps to the stage so that I could get a better look. That close, I found another niche carved into the wall underneath the depiction of that Japor icon. I called my mom and dad over to show them the niche and what it contained. As they looked inside, I saw my dad's eyes narrow ever so slightly as he said "It's a high energy flux aperture."

To a non-Jedi, or anyone without a background in weapons-based plasma physics, that may sound like so much nonsense. Jedi build our own lightsabers, we intimately know each part and what it is called. A high energy flux aperture is that part of the lightsaber which keeps the blade from eating backwards into the saber hilt and a Jedi's hands.

Someone was slowly disassembling a lightsaber as they slowly killed Jedi.

Reaching out both physically and with the Force, I placed one finger on the capacitor. I felt pain and sorrow, but no death. I felt a battle of words and then swords. I felt fire, death, birth, water then the soul blasting heat of twin suns. Colors, too many to count, splashed upon my mind's eye, blinding me.

Then it stopped. I opened my eyes and I found myself standing in the midst of the Juudland Wastes on Tatooine, feeling the heat of both suns beat down upon me. I looked around and saw Tahiri sitting upon a Bantha. Once again, I found myself admiring her beauty, her blonde hair tied up in a simple bun threaded with a blue ribbon, dressed in the whites and tans of a Tatooine native, a simple light blue sash holding her smock closed. I noticed the simple soft-soled slippers she was wearing, the lightness of the scars on her forehead offset by the bronze of her tan. I felt that little patter in my heart as she turned her eyes on me, and nearly recoiled when I saw the anger and hatred in her eyes. The sheer hostility she exhibited, without speaking, moving or being armed was amazing. Distantly, I heard her say "You should not have come here. We will be lenient this once. Leave Tatooine and do not return. Tell your Master I will not come to him. The Jedi have no place for me." As she was speaking a tribe of sand people came up behind her, all riding their banthas. With the speech finished, she and the sand people turned and started walking deeper into the Wastes.

I screamed "Tahiri!" and felt myself forced pushed away. I landed on the front row of chairs in the Meeting Hall. As I succumbed to unconsciousness, I saw my parents rushing towards me with fear and worry in their eyes. I smiled slightly thinking that it is always nice to know they care.

I woke badly. Sitting up suddenly, I was half-crazed with fear; I instinctively pushed out with the force, destroying almost everything in the room. From beside my bed I heard "Now, are such displays really necessary Ben?"

Turning my head towards my Master, I noticed that while everything around him was smashed and broken, Jacen did not have a single hair out of place. I gave a slight smile and replied "I'm sorry Master."

Jacen merely smiled as he placed his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was ok.
Of course I said yes.

With that he smiled even larger and went to find my parents, and a droid or two to clean up the mess I had created.

A few hours later, the medics finally decided I could leave. It appears that I had been unconscious for two days. While I remembered dreaming, I failed to remember exactly what it was that I dreamed. All I knew was that the dreams were filled with pain and death, fire and blood. Likewise, what I remembered last was that haunting vision of Tahiri, which of course did nothing to improve my disposition.

Upon arriving home, I went to my quarters for bed, and was warmed slightly by the little things my parents had done for me, such as the large balloon, fixing my favorite desert, and of course the mug of hot chocolate, which had grown scarce during the Vong War. Of course, it was only slightly as I had grown even more worried about Tahiri because I found out that she had still not been found nor heard from. Luckily there had not been any more Jedi killed either, and Dad was hopeful that the killings had stopped, even if he hadn't found Tahiri.

Deciding that I had enough time sitting in rooms the past two days, I thought it would be a good idea to go for a run. Today, I can admit that was not a brilliant decision, but I was still a kid back then, so I'm forgiven.

The circuit which I ran took me around the Temple grounds, past the Horn's and Uncle Han's homes and finally back to my parent's house. Or at least that was the way it was supposed to take me, as when I got to the Horn home it was in flames. From within I could hear the sounds of lightsabers being used in combat, so I did what any self respecting Jedi trainee would do, I reached for my lightsaber.

This of course, is when I realized that my saber was still sitting on the desk in my room.

Grimacing slightly, I could hear my Master's voice admonishing me "A Jedi's lightsaber is his most precious possession. He must keep it with him at all times. That weapon is his life."

So, I did what any self respecting Jedi trainee who had left their lightsaber at home would do, I jumped through a window into the burning building.

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